Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Demo Released

[Necromancer]

It's available for download on Xbox Live right now! There are four playable characters (Super Saiyan Goku, Ultimate Gohan, Kid Buu, and Demon King Dabura), and two playable areas (Rocky Area and Glacier).

I played it, and it's great. I like the music, the graphics are awesome, many moves are now more aesthetically pleasing, and everything we know and love from the first Raging Blast is still there. I also noticed some new moves being used by the CPU, but since there isn't a training mode in the demo, it'll be pretty difficult to figure out how to use them before the full game comes out in November. There is also a new mode called raging soul mode. When your character charges up enough to reach high tension, there is a moment when you can hit the right bumper, and you will be put into this raging soul mode. In this state, you will not be able to charge or use super or ultimate attacks, but your power seems to increase by quite a lot. You will exit this mode when the purple part of your character's ki meter runs out.

Anyway, that's my take on it from just a few minutes of playing it. I strongly encourage you to download it and give it a try for yourself.

 

[Dark Drakan]

I will give it a try, been watching DBZ from start to finish again at the moment and currently on the Buu Saga. I shall ask a couple of questions though, dont have to answer but having played it you may be able to shed some light on some things. I havent been following the development of the game for a while so the details i know of it are basic.

Are the combos any deeper this time around?
Can you transform in battles?
Are the special moves still repeated cinematic pieces that only differ slightly for each character?
How much freedom do the levels give you?
Destructible environments?
Any beam struggles etc?

 

[Necromancer]

I'll answer your questions the best I can, but I'm not exactly sure what you mean for a few of them.

Can you transform in battles?

Not in the demo, but you were able to in the first Raging Blast, so I can't see any reason why they would take out that ability for the second one.

Are the special moves still repeated cinematic pieces that only differ slightly for each character?

If you're talking about super attacks (like kamehameha, big bang, masenko, meteor combination, etc.), then not really. Even in the first game, supers aren't just limited to ki attacks like the kamehameha or big bang and rush attacks like meteor combination. There are moves like wild sense and afterimage that help you to avoid and evade attacks. Instant transmission allows you to transport directly in back of someone. There are also combo supers that show you a button on the screen to press to continue the attack. Each one is different, and you can stop them in the middle of it at any time to continue stringing together regular combos. You just have to know the right times to stop because sometimes your opponent might not be in an open or vulnerable position. Even small differences in ki attacks and rush attacks can make big differences in combat. With ki attacks, some are beams, some are blasts, some are fast, some are slow, some are chargeable, and some aren't. With rush attacks, your opponent's state and location on the map can be different. These seem like very small differences, but they can make big differences in a battle. Still, ki and rush supers will generally do the same amount of damage.

I know this might seem like a lot of information, but there are even more kinds of super attacks, and there is even more to the ones I've already described.

Destructible environments?

Yes, the first game had that as well.

I'm not totally sure what you meant in your other questions.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Beam struggles were in other DBZ games where say a Kamehamaha and Final Flash meet and you have to 'struggle' to overpower the other one.

Wondered how large the arena you get to fight in was, small like Budokai series and Tenkaichi series or a little larger?

Combos in most DBZ games consisted of a chain of about 4 moves repeated over and over with little variation, just wondered if it had been expanded upon any.

Is it just the odd mountain and rock thats destructible? (i dont expect huge amounts of course)

Thanks for you other answers though, im an avid fan and been waiting many years for a good game instead of cash in, mediocre fighters with shallow combat systems hidden under flashy effects.

 

[Necromancer]

Beam struggles were in other DBZ games where say a Kamehamaha and Final Flash meet and you have to 'struggle' to overpower the other one.

Ah yes, shot exchanges. Those and blow exchanges (when two players are rushing toward each other at once and meet) are both in Raging Blast 1 and 2.

Wondered how large the arena you get to fight in was, small like Budokai series and Tenkaichi series or a little larger?

Again, this part of the game wasn't really changed from the first Raging Blast. They're pretty big. The only other DBZ fighter I've really played is Budokai Tenkaichi 3, and Raging Blast's stages are definitely bigger than those. I've never had any problems with map size in Raging Blast at all (except for the world martial arts stadium and the cave stage, but those were sort of meant to be small).

Combos in most DBZ games consisted of a chain of about 4 moves repeated over and over with little variation, just wondered if it had been expanded upon any.

I think what you're referring to is probably the smash attacks. Those are used often, but experienced and skilled players also use other kinds of moves as well like charge attacks, combo super attacks, and normal and charged ki blasts in their combos. It's not really as simple as you indicate past games have been. Again, this goes for Raging Blast 1 and 2, but #2 did put some new moves in, so that should help with making combos a little more diverse.

Is it just the odd mountain and rock thats destructible? (i dont expect huge amounts of course)

Mostly, yes. Rocks, hills, mountains, trees, buildings, and small islands on stages with water are destructible. However, there is a new move/environmental effect that was introduced in Raging Blast 1 called the crash. You're able to smash your opponent into the side of a cliff, building, etc. and inflict damage on them. Here's a picture of it from Raging Blast 1, and here's one from Raging Blast 2

 

[Dark Drakan]

Thanks for all the answers Necro, havent had chance to download the demo and try it myself yet but i shall do so this weekend at some point. Ive played most DBZ games for multiple consoles but Raging Blast was one of the ones i didnt purchase. So i knew very little about it and the style of play in it.